Contract Monitoring

1 June 2024

Publication of and updated Technical Specification for Amd 74/2020 (v2.92 replaced with V2.93)

The change incorporates an update to the drug taxonomy reference table, which now matches the April 2024 (v19.0) list of medicines not reimbursed through national prices that are directly commissioned by NHS England.

2024

National consultation on the proposed changes to the four contract monitoring data will be held during 2024. A revised timeline regarding the future development of the standards, made necessary by the recent general election, is shown below.

Between April and June 2024

Actions : Suggestions considered by a multi-disciplinary working party comprising representation from suitable relevant stakeholders. Suggested changes considered by the group as essential or of merit will go forward to consultation.

Between July and September 2024

Actions: 

• national consultation for a period of 28 days
• analysis of the consultation. Final list of amendments based on the degree of support for each change
• changes to specifications developed in conjunction with the NHS Data Model and Dictionary team

Between October and December 2024

Actions: Revised specifications published for their implementation in April 2025 for reporting of activity relating to 2025/26 financial year.

17 April 2024

Minor changes have been made to the supporting reference tables and examples sheets contained within the Technical Details Specification documents for each Contract Monitoring Data Set. Minor changes have also been made to User Guidance for Providers and Commissioners documents for each of the Contract Monitoring Standards (see Supporting documents section) to reflect the new statutory bodies in place and remove references to those that no longer exist. The guidance document relating to DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM) has additional guidance relating to the use of the point of delivery code and the reporting of associated charges and on-costs.

25 January 2024

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM). This is an update to the drug taxonomy reference table, which now matches the latest (v18.2) list of medicines not reimbursed through national prices that are directly commissioned by NHS England.

22 November 2023

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM). This is an update to the drug taxonomy reference table, which now matches the latest (v18.1) list of medicines not reimbursed through national prices that are directly commissioned by NHS England. There is also a minor amendment to the population guidance for the POINT OF DELIVERY CODE data element.

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB3002 Devices Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DePLCM). There is a minor amendment to the population guidance for the POINT OF DELIVERY CODE data element.

25 August 2023

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB2050 Aggregate Contract Monitoring (ACM). This is an update to the Specialised Mental Health Service Category Code reference table.

31 May 2023

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM). This is an update to the drug taxonomy reference table, which now matches the latest (v18) list of medicines not reimbursed through national prices that are directly commissioned by NHS England.

17 April 2023

Minor changes have been made to the Technical Details Specification documents for each of the contract monitoring standards (DCB2050 Aggregate Contract Monitoring (ACM), DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM), DCB3002 Devices Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DePLCM) and DCB3003 Patient Level Contract Monitoring (PLCM)). On 1 July 2022, integrated care systems (ICSs) became legally established through the Health and Care Act 2022, and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) were closed down. This update removes references to CCGs and the commissioned service category code reference table has been updated for 2023-24.

2022

11 October 2022

Minor changes have been made to the user guidance for clarification, for contract monitoring standards DCB2050 Aggregate Contract Monitoring (ACM) (see section 7 and section 8 (FAQs) Q16) and DCB3003 Patient Level Contract Monitoring (PLCM) (see section 8 (FAQs) Q8). 

There has also been a minor change made to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM). This is an update to the drug taxonomy reference table, which now matches the latest (v17.2) list of medicines not reimbursed through national prices that are directly commissioned by NHS England.

8 July 2022

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM). This is an update to the drug taxonomy reference table, which now matches the latest (v17.1) list of medicines not reimbursed through national prices that are directly commissioned by NHS England.12 May 2022: A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification documents for each of the contract monitoring standards (DCB2050 Aggregate Contract Monitoring (ACM), DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM), DCB3002 Devices Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DePLCM) and DCB3003 Patient Level Contract Monitoring (PLCM)). This update relates to the addition of a new code (code 32) in the Commissioned Service Category Code reference table of each document, to accommodate the forthcoming introduction of the NHS England Innovative Medicines Fund.

There has also been a further change to the Technical Details Specification document for DCB3002 Devices Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DePLCM), with an update to the device taxonomy reference table. This change has been made as in the final 2022/23 tariff guidance the Stent Retriever (DEV54) category was combined into the Mechanical Thrombectomy category (DEV51) and as such the code DEV54 for Stent Retriever is not required separately. The Mechanical Thrombectomy category (DEV51) has been renamed as “Mechanical Thrombectomy Stent Retrievers and Clot Retrievers” as per the National Tariff Guidance.

21 April 2022

Minor changes have been made to the Technical Details Specification documents for each of the contract monitoring standards (DCB2050 Aggregate Contract Monitoring (ACM), DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM), DCB3002 Devices Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DePLCM) and DCB3003 Patient Level Contract Monitoring (PLCM)). These updates relate to the addition of a new code (code 12) in the Commissioned Service Category Code reference table of each document, to accommodate the forthcoming introduction of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), following approval of the legislation.

There have also been several new ‘High Level Codes’ added to the Taxonomy reference table in the DCB3002 DePLCM Technical Details Specification.

2 March 2022

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification documents for both DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM) and DCB3002 Devices Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DePLCM). This update relates to the the 'Point of Delivery Code' tab in each document. 

2 February 2022

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification for DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM). This is an update to the drug taxonomy list to reflect the 2021-22 list (v16.1) of drugs not reimbursed through national prices and directly commissioned by NHS England.

16 November 2021

Copies of the User Guidance for each of the four standards, originally published on the NHS England and NHS Improvement website, have been added to the 'Supporting documents' sections above. 

8 July 2021

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification for DCB2212 Drugs Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DrPLCM). This is an update to the drug taxonomy list to finally reflect the 2021-22 list (v16) of high cost drugs that are outside the National Tariff.

30 June 2021

A minor change has been made to the Technical Details Specification for DCB3002 Devices Patient Level Contract Monitoring (DePLCM), in relation to the taxonomy supporting reference table within the workbook.

28 April 2021

Links to the NHS Data Model and Dictionary have been updated in the specification and technical specification documents above, following a recent change in platform.